1. Technical Field.
This invention relates to a modular building design and more particularly to a modular building design utilizing trapezoidal building panels of uniform width for use with or without perimeter frames.
2. Background Art.
A variety of building designs utilizing prefabricated exterior panels have been developed over the years. The object in each case is to provide a building structure enclosing a large volume of usable space without any interference from internal frame members. This is usually accomplished by incorporating some aspect of a geodesic dome type of design which utilizes the concept of great circles as the basis for the perimeter structure framing.
TSCHUDY, ET AL., U.S.Pat. No. 4,480,414, teaches a hexagonal housing unit erected from a minimum of three differently shaped panels. At least two of the panels are of non-standard shape, that is panels with non-parallel sides. GROSSER, ET AL., U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,160 and GERSIN, Patent No. 3,230,673, both teach modular building structures constructed from triangular panels and generally require extensive support frame work and jointing hardware. The complicated jointing hardware is especially prominent and most easily seen in U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,160.
In each case the frame members are attached, one to the other based upon great circle intersections. The result is that while the structural loading of the perimeter frame may be theoretically efficient, it is not amenable to mass production, as it relates to erection techniques of fabrication using commonly available and preferred building materials. In particular, the fabrication of triangular shape panels by definition will result in significant waste of materials in the fabrication stages of construction since these materials are usually only available in standard widths and lengths designed for standard frame and sheeting construction practices.
A second problem concerns itself with the unfamiliarity of local craftman with that of the different construction techniques, and the difficulties associated therewith, in particular means and methods for measuring acute angles which vary from frame member to frame member such as is in U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,160.
The major problem with all of these is that they require exotic materials and/or excessive waste in materials when converting from standard sizes commonly available for use in conventional building techniques to the unconventional sizes required by the various modular designs.
What is needed is a modular building design which incorporates or maximizes the best features of the geodesic dome type of building design system with the usage of building materials readily available in standardized sizes such as 2.times.4 pre-cut lumber and 4.times.8 sheets of plywood or composite materials which are similar in design thereto.
It is anticipated that the building panels of the present invention will be manufactured using a continuous length process wherein the resulting panels all have a uniform width. Manufacturing panels of uniform width and standard shape, that is shapes with at least two parallel sides, provides for an economical and much less wasteful manufacturing process. Consequently, not only is ease of construction greatly enhanced, but the cost to the consumer is greatly reduced.
A second object is to maximize the most beneficial characteristics of readily available construction materials. Structures built in the United States today, in the case of tall structures in urban areas, are constructed of steel and concrete. Concrete is, of course, most useful as a structural material when placed under compressive load either by design or by prestressing. Steel is welded, bolted or riveted into a grid or framework from which other types of materials are used to enclose the structure.
For smaller structures such as residential homes and other structures having a height of no more than two or three stories, are oftentimes constructed of wood. Wood exhibits best structural compressive and tensile strengths along the grain as opposed to across it. As a result structural pre-cut lumber such as 2.times.4's and 2.times.6's and the like and withstand considerable loading length-wise, however laterally, the ability to withstand load is considerably diminished.
As a result if used in framing members for conventional traditional geodesic dome type construction, considerable care has to be made to insure that the wooden frame members have sufficient strength of materials to withstand the cross-grain loading inherent in these designs.
Accordingly, it is a object of this invention to provide a building panel design which automatically provides for vertical loading, along a traditional sense, of the perimeter frame so as to minimize or all-together eliminate any amount of materials needed to construct said frame.